Your home should not have any odor at all. In fact, it should have a fresh and clean smell all the time.
So, if you are asking yourself, why does my house smell musty after getting a foul odor, you are on the right track.
Mold and mildew are the common culprits that put a musty smell in your home.
High-humidity areas of your home and leaky pipes are where molds and mildew thrive the most.
However, knowing what is causing the smell can do only a little help.
Instead, you should know how to get rid of musty smell in house. And that is exactly what you will learn from this guide.
How to Get Rid of the Musty Smell from Your Home?
If your house smells musty after rain, there is a high chance that you are dealing with a mold infestation.
But the thing is, sometimes, you can get a musty smell even when it does not rain. In such cases, you might don’t know what to do.
Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. In such cases, you can follow the following steps to keep your home musty smell free.
Try to Bring Some Fresh Air into Your Home
When you get a musty odor inside your home, you first need to open all the windows and doors. Make them bring fresh air inside and get rid of the stale air.
Use a Dehumidifier to Get Rid of the Excess Moisture
Moisture buildup inside the home is never a good thing. It calls for the growth of mold and mildew.
So, to tackle the moisture issue, you need to set up a dehumidifier. Let it run for a reasonable amount of time and allow it to get rid of the excess moisture from the air.
Turn the Air Purifier on
After taking care of the moisture-rich air, you must work on filling the space with clean air. For that, set the air purifier up at the right spot in your home.
Target the room with the most smell and let the air purifier do its thing.
Help the Air Circulate With Fans
Trapping the air inside the rooms when there is a musty smell is never a good idea.
Instead, you will need to make the air circulate. For that, turn on the ceiling fans and box fans.
Dust the Space Regularly and Thoroughly
When you dust your home regularly, you lower the chances of mold thriving in vulnerable areas.
By dusting regularly, you will keep the air in your home free from allergens and pollutants. So, do not skimp on this.
Make Sure to Mop and Vacuum the Floors Regularly
Even with the flow of fresh air and your air purifier turned on, the musty smell can linger around.
To eliminate these lingering odors, you need to vacuum the floors. Also, try to mop the rooms at least once a week.
Deep Clean the Shower Drain and Bathtub
The shower drains and the drain on the bathtub are perfect places for mold and mildew growth.
How so?
Mold and mildews prefer sites with high moisture levels. And the drains always have standing water below them.
That is why you must pay proper attention to the shower and bathtub drains.
Disinfect the Dishwasher and Clean the Washing Machine
To get rid of the mildew and mold in the washing machine and dishwasher, you must disinfect them properly.
Consider doing this monthly to ensure molds and mildews cannot grow in those two appliances.
Take the Help of Your Air Freshener
If you need to get the musty smell out of your quickly, you need to use an air freshener.
However, you should pick an air freshener with a natural scent for your home. Those work the best for musty odors.
Spray Hard Surfaces With a Vinegar Solution
Vinegar works like a charm in removing mold and mildew from surfaces. But be careful; you should not use vinegar directly.
Instead, mix an equal amount of distilled water. Alternatively, you can use distilled white vinegar. There will not be any need to mix in any water with that.
How to Get Rid of a Musty Smell in Your Basement?
Like the rooms in your home, the basement can have a musty smell to it. And using an air purifier to clean the basement’s air does not make much sense.
So, what should you do?
There’re quite a few actions you can take to get rid of the musty smell of your basement, and we’ve discussed them briefly in the following section.
Find the Culprit and Locate Where the Smell Is Coming From
Before anything else, you need to find out why the smell is actually coming out.
Sometimes, the musty smell can come simply because the basement is not clean.
But in most cases, basements will have a high level of moisture content in the air. How so?
High moisture content can lead to awful smells. So, you should first use a dehumidifier to lower the moisture content.
If the smell is still there, you should try to locate the area where the odor is coming from.
Clean the Area
To get rid of the musty smell that is coming from a particular area, you need to use a vinegar solution. Mix equal amounts of water and vinegar and spray it on the space.
Allow the vinegar solution to stay there for a while, and then check back on the area.
You can use baking soda if you do not have vinegar or distilled white vinegar. Spread the soda throughout the basement.
It will work like a charm in terms of absorbing the stench, and you should notice the smell getting away in just a few days.
Take Care of Leaky Pipes
Once the smell is out of your basement, you should check all the pipes that are in the basement. If there is any leak, you must fix it as soon as possible.
The leak can contribute to the increasing humidity level issue and will make the musty smell come back once the vinegar or baking soda wears off.
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What to Do When the Musty Smell Comes from the Upholstery and Carpeting?
The furniture and carpet can indeed make your home smell musty. That is why cleaning them at least twice a year is crucial.
And when it comes to cleaning the upholstery and carpets, rent a steam cleaner. That will make the cleaning process a piece of cake for you.
However, if cleaning the furniture and carpets seems too much work, you can always resort to professional cleaners.
They should do a proper job of removing the musty smell from the carpeting and upholstery.
Read More: Will An Air Purifier Help With Ferret Smell?
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do air purifiers make your house smell better?
Air purifiers can capture contaminants and odor-causing pollutants from the air. In other words, these devices will capture air-borne pollutants that can make your home smell terrible.
2. What kills musty smell in the house?
To kill the musty smell out of the house, the first thing that you need to do is circulate the air around. Open up all the windows and ensure the air does not stay static in your home. Afterward, turn on your air purifier. Make sure that the device is getting enough air inside. Otherwise, it will not do a proper job of getting rid of the smell.
3. What causes a house to smell musty?
The musty smell is mainly for mildew and mold growth. Basically, when the mildew and mold build up, they release gases. These gases have a foul smell to them. And regarding which spaces the smell can come from, any place with a high humidity level or dampness is vulnerable.
4. Does musty smell always mean mold?
The musty smell can also come for other reasons. For example, it could be due to a lack of ventilation or the space having a high level of humidity. In such cases, all you need to do is drop the humidity level inside your home and ensure a proper flow of air inside the rooms. And most importantly, use an air purifier.
Read More: Do Air Purifiers Get Rid Of Dog Smell?
Final Words
To know how to get rid of musty smell in house, you just need to keep a few crucial things in mind.
First, do not let air stay static in the rooms. Make sure that the humidity levels are not high.
And finally, always keep the air purifier on in the rooms where the musty smell is intense.
Last Updated on February 26, 2023
